Posted on 03/30/2006 2:42:25 PM PST by Katya
Hello everyone, Bear with me on this vanity, as I don't post many.
I'd like some personal opinions based on freepers experience, attending the following institutions: Clemson, Virginia Tech, Binghamton University, and University of Vermont.
These are the final choices we're making regarding college for my son next year. We have to make a decision as to which one, by the end of the month. There is also a possiblity that he will transfer out of one of these colleges for his junior year to an Ivy. Any insights to these schools would be appreciated. You can only learn so much on their tours, which are obviously also a bit of marketing.
Whatever you do, don't send him to Vermont.
I don't know much specifics about any of those, but it would help if you were to identify what your son plans to major in and other interests.
I didn't attend any of these but I do have current and former coworkers that attended Virginia Tech. They are all chemical engineers.
They are all top notch people in their field.
I'd go to each schools web page see if they have any obnoxious pre requisites or primer courses to indoctrinate freshman. Check the towns see what the crime rate is dig a little. Have him help make it a family project.
If your son is really interested in Ivy League, then why not go now? If he can't get in now, that probably won't change much in 2 years. IMHO Ivy League is overrated, and definatly not worth the money. I got lucky because the University of Illinois one of the best schools in the world for the major I'm taking, and its instate tuition!
Virginia Tech is a good choice. I live in Blacksburg. Small town dominated by a university. Almost no crime. Fairly conservative for a university.
My niece and nephew both graduated from Va. Tech and loved it.
Both are well grounded and recieved a great education.
My son was accepted there also but opted for Ga. Tech. My son could not be any happier.
Have a cousin who is a mech engineering prof at VA Tech; she's been there a while and speaks highly of it.
Especially so if your getting a B.S. degree.
;)
Save your money. College is a waste.
I've only seen Binghamton several times.
Good school, but ugly 60s campus.
Transferring to an Ivy isn't necessarily the easiest thing in the world, with the exception of Cornell, which is very receptive to transfers (upwards of 500 of them a year, many excellent students from Junior Colleges.) The other Ivies, unless things have changed, don't encourage transfers.
U. Vermont is one of a handful of "Berkeley's" of the East. Run. Run fast.
Having worked alongside a number of Ivy League grads for 20+ years (at a major Boston hospital) and having talked with many of them at great length,I can attest to the fact that a degree from an Ivy League school is as close as you'll ever get to a guarantee of a very secure and very "prosperous" life.
But then,you may well know that already.
Clemson and Virginia Tech are both "land-grant" universities. Tech has excellent engineering and veterinary programs.
}:-)4
That's true,but UVM is regarded as one of the best state schools in the country.
Great place to major in the uses of sagebrush and animal manure.
What's his major going to be?
True, but the editor of Clemson's independent student paper recently did his best to shatter campus PC by raffling off an AK47-type firearm - much to the dismay some faculty pinheads.
Made my little alumnus heart so proud...8^)
Yikes
Regarded by whom?
I didn't mean that. I do mean: I have lived in Burlington, I have observed--and endured--the nastiness of the socialists--make that radicals--who inhabit UV, and I wouldn't want my kids anywhere near that place.
Don't go to Clemson unless you're a sports fanatic and you look good in orange!
Average class size? Percentage of classes taught by graduate assistants? Search for web sites associated with each location that provide professor and course evaluations. These will not be sites sponsored by the institution but the comments can tell you a little bit and the overall tenor of the remarks can also be revealing.
If he wants to be an engineer, Virginia Tech is a great choice. I went there for Spanish language camp in high school, and I liked the campus. I attended UVA and like Virginia Tech.
Send him to Hillsdale College in Michigan.
Very small classes, all are taught by professors (no grad students or TAs). Upper level honors classes usually have 5-8 students.
Hillsdale reminds one of the small liberal arts colleges circa 1955.
They provide the absolute best liberal arts education that Federal funds can't buy.
www.hillsale.edu
Sorry, that should read www.hillsdale.edu.
Your child should go the school with the best program, period. Sometimes Ivy league schools aren't the best in their respective programs. Also wanted to point out that transferring into top-tier schools can be a real pain, the completion for limited seats places high demands on transfers. Typically, they will make you re-take many classes regardless of how good the program he/she came from was. On a personal note, I graduated from a "lowly" state school in 95 and I'm doing quite well for myself despite never having the academic bling. I later went to Johns Hopkins for my grad work but that was something I did for myself, it really wasn't a necessity for my job. Try not to get too caught up in the pedigree of the school, the papers do not make the person.
Well...if you don't count the football team. ;-)
Katya, I think your choice should depend a lot on what your son wants to study. If he knows that, go from there.
But, Pappy is right. Virginia Tech is a good school (and has a beautiful campus and location).
and Cornell is actually where he'd like to be. My son didn't work particularly hard in high school so I set some financial parameters...ie. I'll pay for a good state school until you prove you will work hard, and then I'll pay for prestige. Bing is ugly, and grey...but the students do seem....intelligent, they only accept roughly ten percent of their applicants.
he didnt' work very hard in high school, although he was accepted by many private schools...I won't pay for something not worth my money, we want to wait for him to prove himself in college. He's also an athlete, so there's that aspect to his acceptance.
At this point he's sort of interested in Architecture/engineering. That could all change....so we are looking at schools that offer a bit of both. He also didn't want to go terribly far from the east coast, and I also want him at least a three hours from home.
Burlington is beautiful and yes, UVM was one of the original so called public ivy's. I think Binghamton is ranked a bit higher now...but I have to say Burlington and UVM's campus are gorgeous. One of the issues for us at UVM is they do not have the sports team my son would be involved in....cut because of Title IX.
My husband loved VTechwhen he did the initial visit with our son....I will be visiting with him in April, for one last day tour. At this point we are leaning towards VT as one of our two final choices.
UVA was one of my sons choices...but I nixed it as TOO close to home. Seriously, he needs to be further than an easy drive home. We don't live in VA so all the state schools are a bit more expensive for us.
He really wanted to go to Cornell, but the cost is very high, and I'm pretty pragmatic when it comes to funds. Next choice would be probably be Dartmouth...but again, if he does well his first two years I don't see a problem in transferring.
well, these are the schools that we narrowed down from the list of schools we applied to. He also has no interest in wandering too far west. We're pretty east coast and don't like to be more than five hours from the beach, so Virginia Tech will probably seem west to him.
University of Parris Island...sounds good for a HS slacker
At one point we had also considered Auburn University, which has a fantastic architecture program...but their campus is undergoing major renovations, and they don't guarantee freshmen housing.
He's leaning towards Architecture or Engineering...but that's not set in stone. I could easily see him doing a prelaw degree as well. He has always been good in many subjects....so we want him to go to a school with as many options as possible.
Ivy League is overrated,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It definitely is on the professional school level.
I was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania but chose my state professional school instead. Not only did I get a better education and have better opportunities for acceptance to a specialist program later, I saved tons of money.
LOL....obviously he did well in other areas....ie. SAT scores, and his common application included a killer essay. His grades weren't abysmal...just not where he should have been, which for many schools is the upper stratosphere.
Burlington. Elitist far-left liberal town. Most kids go to Vermont to ski, not to learn. No FB team. Dorms are as pathetic as you can get, but not unlike most colleges.
Fairly long walk to town. Not really in the mountains.
You pass through them on 91 going north. Burlington would be a truck stop except for the lake.
You've got FR mail.
I can recommend Clemson on both majors.
He was offered scholarship money to UVM...and we really do love New England. They have an excellent...don't puke..environmental studies program there. Regardless of your field, this is an up and coming major, particularly businesses and building firms that use consultants to comply.
Cornell and Dartmouth are both damn good schools. You should at least encourage him to apply and see if he gets accepted. If he is good enough to make it in, then you can worry about the finaces. I'm sure if you asked him, he wouldn't mind taking on larger student loans for the chance of going to the school he wants to go to.
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